Labour Party › 2026
Labour Party in 2026
Polling day: 7 May 2026. 136 councils held elections.
Summary
- Contested in 136 of 136 councils; ran for 5,031 seats.
- Won 1,067 seats (21.2% of seats up) on 20.7% of the vote.
- Net change vs each council's last appearance in this dataset: -1,204 seats across 7 councils up, 115 councils down, 12 flat, 2 new to the window.
- Council-control change: 0 gained, 30 lost.
Same votes, different counting rule
Compare the seats Labour Party actually won under FPTP with a proportional re-count of the same council-level votes. Positive means seats unfairly awarded by FPTP; negative means seats the party was denied by FPTP.
Where Labour Party led, as of 2026
Councils where Labour Party was the largest single party in the most recent composition snapshot at or before 2026. Greens ring councils gained at this election; reds ring those lost. Click any hex to drill in.
As of 2026
113 councils led
−30 lost this cycle
Grey hexes are councils where another party led, or where we don't have a snapshot for that year.
Council-control changes
Councils where the largest party in the running composition changed at this election. How a flip is defined →
Lost (30)
- Wakefield to Reform UK
- South Tyneside to Reform UK
- Sunderland to Reform UK
- St. Helens to Reform UK
- Calderdale to Reform UK
- Thurrock to Reform UK
- Lewisham to Green Party
- Hackney to Green Party
- Barnsley to Reform UK
- Sandwell to Reform UK
- Gateshead to Reform UK
- Bradford to Reform UK
- Kirklees to Reform UK
- Waltham Forest to Green Party
- Haringey to Green Party
- Birmingham to Reform UK
- Lambeth to Green Party
- Nuneaton and Bedworth to Reform UK
- Cannock Chase to Reform UK
- Peterborough to Other
- Barnet to Conservative Party
- Swindon to Conservative Party
- Norwich to Green Party
- Wandsworth to Conservative Party
- Westminster to Conservative Party
- Enfield to Conservative Party
- Newcastle upon Tyne to Liberal Democrats
- Milton Keynes to Liberal Democrats
- Basildon to Conservative Party
- Oldham to Other
Where the seats came from
Per-council net seat change vs each council's prior appearance in our dataset (typically that council's previous all-out election or its last by-thirds slice). "Debut" rows are councils whose first cycle in our window is 2026 — usually the result of a boundary reorganisation or being a county outside our 2021 LEH coverage.
Seats gained (7 councils)
| Council | Won | Last cycle | Net | Vote share | Seat share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sefton | 36 | 17 (2024) | +19 | 29.8% | 54.5% |
| Milton Keynes | 19 | 9 (2024) | +10 | 22.2% | 31.7% |
| Coventry | 24 | 15 (2024) | +9 | 29.3% | 44.4% |
| Bradford | 17 | 10 (2024) | +7 | 21.5% | 19.5% |
| Sandwell | 28 | 22 (2024) | +6 | 34.3% | 38.9% |
| Swindon | 19 | 14 (2024) | +5 | 28.0% | 33.3% |
| Merton | 32 | 31 (2022) | +1 | 30.8% | 56.1% |
Seats lost (115 councils)
| Council | Won | Last cycle | Net | Vote share | Seat share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 17 | 65 (2022) | -48 | 20.5% | 16.8% |
| North Tyneside | 5 | 51 (2024) | -46 | 29.1% | 25.0% |
| Hackney | 9 | 50 (2022) | -41 | 35.7% | 15.8% |
| Lewisham | 14 | 54 (2022) | -40 | 34.4% | 25.9% |
| Newham | 26 | 64 (2022) | -38 | 29.0% | 39.4% |
| Dudley | 1 | 34 (2024) | -33 | 16.1% | 4.0% |
| Lambeth | 26 | 58 (2022) | -32 | 34.7% | 41.3% |
| Waltham Forest | 15 | 47 (2022) | -32 | 32.9% | 25.0% |
| Haringey | 21 | 50 (2022) | -29 | 34.2% | 36.8% |
| Stevenage | 3 | 31 (2024) | -28 | 23.0% | 21.4% |
| St Helens | 2 | 29 (2022) | -27 | 28.0% | 4.3% |
| Manchester | 6 | 30 (2024) | -24 | 30.9% | 18.8% |
| Southwark | 29 | 52 (2022) | -23 | 36.2% | 46.0% |
| Brent | 26 | 49 (2022) | -23 | 29.8% | 45.6% |
| Wigan | 0 | 21 (2024) | -21 | 24.9% | 0.0% |
| Cannock Chase | 0 | 21 (2024) | -21 | 13.5% | 0.0% |
| Hounslow | 32 | 52 (2022) | -20 | 32.6% | 51.6% |
| Wakefield | 1 | 21 (2024) | -20 | 25.9% | 1.6% |
| Redditch | 1 | 21 (2024) | -20 | 18.4% | 11.1% |
| Nuneaton and Bedworth | 2 | 20 (2024) | -18 | 17.8% | 10.5% |
| Basildon | 0 | 18 (2024) | -18 | 15.2% | 0.0% |
| Greenwich | 35 | 52 (2022) | -17 | 32.6% | 63.6% |
| Camden | 30 | 47 (2022) | -17 | 32.8% | 54.5% |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | 2 | 19 (2022) | -17 | 21.5% | 4.5% |
| Islington | 32 | 48 (2022) | -16 | 38.5% | 62.7% |
| Harlow | 0 | 16 (2024) | -16 | 13.2% | 0.0% |
| Redbridge | 43 | 58 (2022) | -15 | 32.4% | 68.3% |
| Salford | 3 | 18 (2024) | -15 | 28.0% | 14.3% |
| Halton | 2 | 17 (2024) | -15 | 30.6% | 10.5% |
| Ealing | 46 | 59 (2022) | -13 | 30.0% | 65.7% |
| Barking and Dagenham | 38 | 51 (2022) | -13 | 37.8% | 74.5% |
| Harrow | 11 | 24 (2022) | -13 | 23.0% | 20.8% |
| Sunderland | 5 | 18 (2024) | -13 | 26.3% | 6.7% |
| Plymouth | 2 | 15 (2024) | -13 | 21.9% | 10.5% |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 2 | 15 (2024) | -13 | 17.8% | 2.6% |
| Tameside | 1 | 14 (2024) | -13 | 23.8% | 5.3% |
| Tower Hamlets | 5 | 17 (2022) | -12 | 22.7% | 11.1% |
| Sheffield | 3 | 15 (2024) | -12 | 20.2% | 10.0% |
| Rochdale | 2 | 14 (2024) | -12 | 25.6% | 10.0% |
| Enfield | 27 | 38 (2022) | -11 | 24.2% | 42.9% |
| Ipswich | 4 | 15 (2024) | -11 | 26.8% | 25.0% |
| Norfolk | 1 | 12 (2021) | -11 | 10.3% | 1.2% |
| Barnet | 31 | 41 (2022) | -10 | 27.5% | 49.2% |
| Leeds | 9 | 19 (2024) | -10 | 23.9% | 25.0% |
| Wolverhampton | 6 | 16 (2024) | -10 | 28.8% | 28.6% |
| Thurrock | 2 | 12 (2024) | -10 | 22.5% | 4.1% |
| Southampton | 2 | 12 (2024) | -10 | 21.3% | 11.8% |
| Westminster | 22 | 31 (2022) | -9 | 30.2% | 40.7% |
| Hyndburn | 1 | 10 (2024) | -9 | 21.2% | 9.1% |
| Kingston upon Hull | 1 | 10 (2024) | -9 | 17.5% | 5.3% |
| Havant | 1 | 10 (2024) | -9 | 8.7% | 8.3% |
| Hartlepool | 0 | 9 (2024) | -9 | 25.3% | 0.0% |
| Tamworth | 0 | 9 (2024) | -9 | 13.7% | 0.0% |
| Chorley | 5 | 13 (2024) | -8 | 33.3% | 35.7% |
| Adur | 5 | 13 (2024) | -8 | 25.7% | 35.7% |
| Knowsley | 4 | 12 (2024) | -8 | 31.5% | 25.0% |
| Worthing | 1 | 9 (2024) | -8 | 22.5% | 7.7% |
| West Lancashire | 0 | 8 (2024) | -8 | 17.3% | 0.0% |
| Wandsworth | 28 | 35 (2022) | -7 | 33.6% | 48.3% |
| Hillingdon | 16 | 23 (2022) | -7 | 21.7% | 31.4% |
| Trafford | 8 | 15 (2024) | -7 | 23.3% | 38.1% |
| Crawley | 3 | 10 (2024) | -7 | 24.7% | 23.1% |
| Bolton | 2 | 9 (2024) | -7 | 19.5% | 10.0% |
| Havering | 2 | 9 (2022) | -7 | 10.0% | 3.6% |
| Wokingham | 1 | 8 (2024) | -7 | 6.8% | 5.3% |
| Kirklees | 0 | 7 (2024) | -7 | 16.2% | 0.0% |
| Barnsley | 11 | 17 (2024) | -6 | 32.3% | 17.5% |
| Rushmoor | 3 | 9 (2024) | -6 | 24.5% | 21.4% |
| Norwich | 0 | 6 (2024) | -6 | 20.3% | 0.0% |
| North East Lincolnshire | 0 | 6 (2024) | -6 | 14.2% | 0.0% |
| Burnley | 0 | 6 (2024) | -6 | 12.2% | 0.0% |
| Reading | 7 | 12 (2024) | -5 | 29.2% | 41.2% |
| Bury | 7 | 12 (2024) | -5 | 26.8% | 43.8% |
| Cambridge | 4 | 9 (2024) | -5 | 25.3% | 26.7% |
| Preston | 4 | 9 (2024) | -5 | 21.0% | 25.0% |
| Welwyn Hatfield | 3 | 8 (2024) | -5 | 15.9% | 17.6% |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 2 | 7 (2024) | -5 | 23.3% | 11.8% |
| Peterborough | 2 | 7 (2024) | -5 | 15.1% | 11.1% |
| Stockport | 2 | 7 (2024) | -5 | 12.9% | 9.5% |
| Hastings | 0 | 5 (2024) | -5 | 16.7% | 0.0% |
| East Sussex | 0 | 5 (2021) | -5 | 6.1% | 0.0% |
| Tunbridge Wells | 0 | 5 (2024) | -5 | 2.4% | 0.0% |
| Croydon | 30 | 34 (2022) | -4 | 26.3% | 42.9% |
| Gateshead | 12 | 16 (2024) | -4 | 27.3% | 18.2% |
| Bromley | 8 | 12 (2022) | -4 | 17.0% | 13.8% |
| West Sussex | 5 | 9 (2021) | -4 | 9.9% | 7.1% |
| Lincoln | 4 | 8 (2024) | -4 | 23.1% | 36.4% |
| Exeter | 4 | 8 (2024) | -4 | 22.1% | 28.6% |
| Oldham | 3 | 7 (2024) | -4 | 20.7% | 15.0% |
| Walsall | 1 | 5 (2024) | -4 | 14.1% | 1.7% |
| Essex | 1 | 5 (2021) | -4 | 8.5% | 1.3% |
| West Oxfordshire | 0 | 4 (2024) | -4 | 7.1% | 0.0% |
| Bexley | 9 | 12 (2022) | -3 | 19.4% | 20.0% |
| Southend-on-Sea | 4 | 7 (2024) | -3 | 16.3% | 23.5% |
| Colchester | 3 | 6 (2024) | -3 | 14.3% | 17.6% |
| Rugby | 2 | 5 (2024) | -3 | 14.9% | 13.3% |
| South Tyneside | 1 | 4 (2024) | -3 | 18.9% | 1.9% |
| Cherwell | 1 | 4 (2024) | -3 | 8.9% | 5.6% |
| Huntingdonshire | 1 | 4 (2022) | -3 | 5.5% | 1.9% |
| Brentwood | 0 | 3 (2024) | -3 | 5.7% | 0.0% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 38 | 40 (2022) | -2 | 40.7% | 76.0% |
| Calderdale | 8 | 10 (2024) | -2 | 22.2% | 14.8% |
| Suffolk | 3 | 5 (2021) | -2 | 10.4% | 4.3% |
| Hampshire | 1 | 3 (2021) | -2 | 6.5% | 1.3% |
| Sutton | 1 | 3 (2022) | -2 | 6.0% | 1.8% |
| Portsmouth | 0 | 2 (2024) | -2 | 14.2% | 0.0% |
| St Albans | 0 | 2 (2024) | -2 | 4.9% | 0.0% |
| Oxford | 10 | 11 (2024) | -1 | 28.9% | 41.7% |
| Basingstoke and Deane | 2 | 3 (2024) | -1 | 10.9% | 10.5% |
| Watford | 0 | 1 (2024) | -1 | 12.1% | 0.0% |
| Epping Forest | 0 | 1 (2024) | -1 | 7.2% | 0.0% |
| Solihull | 0 | 1 (2024) | -1 | 6.4% | 0.0% |
| Three Rivers | 0 | 1 (2024) | -1 | 5.9% | 0.0% |
| Fareham | 0 | 1 (2024) | -1 | 5.5% | 0.0% |
| Gosport | 0 | 1 (2024) | -1 | 4.8% | 0.0% |
Debut councils (2)
| Council | Won | Vote share | Seat share |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Surrey | 0 | 3.8% | 0.0% |
| East Surrey | 0 | 3.4% | 0.0% |
No change (12)
- Kensington and Chelsea 13 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Broxbourne 1 seats (unchanged from 2024)
- Isle of Wight 1 seats (unchanged from 2021)
- Pendle 0 seats (unchanged from 2024)
- Kingston upon Thames 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- South Cambridgeshire 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Richmond upon Thames 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Rochford 0 seats (unchanged from 2024)
- Eastleigh 0 seats (unchanged from 2024)
- Winchester 0 seats (unchanged from 2024)
- Cheltenham 0 seats (unchanged from 2024)
- Hart 0 seats (unchanged from 2024)
Net-change comparisons are versus each council's most recent appearance in our dataset (2021–2026). For all-out councils that's the previous all-out cycle (typically four years prior); for by-thirds councils it's last year's slice. Cross-cycle ward boundary changes can produce small artefacts — see methodology.